Berroco Kalona Cardigan Knitting Pattern

Berroco Kalona Cardigan

What is Being Made

The Berroco Kalona is an intermediate-level knitted cardigan designed by Alison Green from Booklet #403. This garment is constructed as a seamless, bottom-up cardigan featuring a lace pattern detail and raglan yoke shaping. The finished cardigan is available in eight sizes, ranging from 35½" to 58½" bust circumference, with corresponding lengths from 19¾" to 23½". The design is shown in size 38½" with approximately 3" of positive ease for a comfortable, relaxed fit.

Construction Techniques

The Kalona employs a sophisticated construction method that combines multiple knitting techniques for a polished, professional finish. The body is worked in one continuous piece from the bottom up to the underarms using the circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming the body panels together. The sleeves are then worked separately in the round using double-pointed needles before being joined to the body. Once the sleeves and body are united, the raglan yoke is worked in one piece with integrated raglan shaping that decreases evenly across the yoke to create the characteristic sloped shoulder line of a raglan cardigan. This seamless construction method reduces finishing work and creates clean, durable seams where shaping occurs.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Kalona features a combination of fundamental and decorative stitches. The primary fabric is worked in stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, classic knit surface. The design incorporates a lace pattern detail established through a charted Body Chart that is worked over 12 rows and repeated three times for a total of 36 rows. This lace section is flanked by 2-stitch garter stitch borders on each side, which provide structural stability and a neat edge finish. The border pattern is established on the first row with stitch markers placed to delineate the lace section from the garter borders. The gauge for this garment is 24 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, which is essential information for achieving proper fit and finished measurements.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Kalona is designed to be worked in Berroco Ultra Wool Fine, a yarn that provides excellent stitch definition for both the lace pattern and the stockinette sections. Yarn requirements range from 3 balls (300 grams) for the smallest size to 5 balls (500 grams) for the largest sizes, with the specified colorway being #53147 Stonewashed. The pattern calls for a 40-inch circular needle in size 5 (3.75 mm) for working the body and yoke, and one set of double-pointed needles in size 5 (3.75 mm) for working the sleeves in the round. Stitch markers are also required to delineate pattern sections and track raglan decreases. The pattern recommends checking gauge before beginning to ensure accurate finished measurements, as individual knitting tension can affect the final garment dimensions.